Early start for dedicated followers of fashion
When the giant retail store H& M opens today for the first time in New Zealand, Aneeqah Jacobs will be near the head of the queue.
To make sure of her spot, she planned to get up at 2.30am, and head to Sylvia Park an hour later for the 10am opening. She was taking a cushion and a blanket for the six- hour wait.
The 20- year- old makeup artist has been a fan of the Swedish clothing chain, which i s known for its collaborations with top fashion houses like Lanvin, Givenchy and Kenzo, since she went to a Paris store. “I just really loved it,” she said. Today, she’s hoping to buy a dress, and perhaps a few other pieces that she can wear out tonight. She’s already checked the website for inspiration, plans to spend “a few hundred dollars” and admits she’s “fanatical about fashion”.
Sylvia Park management i s expecting such a rush of shoppers to the 2300sq m, two level store they’ve extended their opening hours until 7pm and worked with Auckland Transport to ensure extra carriages double the capacity of trains stopping at Sylvia Park railway station ahead of opening of H& M today and Zara on Thursday.
Plans for the store at Sylvia Park were announced October last year and H& M Australia and New Zealand country manager Hans Andersson said he promised the wait would be worth it.
The store offered “added value through fashion, quality and sustainability at the best price”, he said. Sylvia Park owners Kiwi Property invested $ 7.7 million to accommodate H& M and upgrade adjacent mall areas, and spent $ 11.5m extending the mall out to one side for the new Zara premises. Viva and Canvas magazine fashion editor Dan Ahwa said as large retailers like H& M, Zara and Topshop entered the market, Kiwis needed to think more about what they were buying. He advised shoppers not to be overwhelmed by the amount and price of what was on offer. “Consider how many items you’re buying. It might make sense at the time to buy the same item in different colours for a bargain, but think about whether you would wear all those colours or just black.”